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City tries to fire Florida cop for sixth time

MIAMIA Florida police officer is fighting to keep his job after being fired for the sixth time by a Miami-Dade County police department.

At a hearing on Wednesday, the Opa-Locka Police Department argued Sgt. German Bosque should lose his job for leaving a rifle with his girlfriend's father while he was on leave last year.

The hearing was before arbitrator Jeanne Wood who will determine if Bosque's alleged carelessness with his rifle warrants dismissal.

CBS 4 Miami reports Opa-locka's previous attempts to fire him have been unsuccessful.

Bosque has been fired eight times by three departments.

CBS 4 Miami's news partner The Miami Herald reports Bosque has successfully beaten back allegations over the years including claims he busted the skull of a handcuffed suspect, beat juveniles, had dope and booze in his squad car, ripped off suspects, falsified reports, participated in an unauthorized chase where four people were killed and called in sick from Cancun.

The current allegations against Bosque date back to last spring, when he was on sick leave for eight days.

Bosque left the rifle in the custody of the father of his then girlfriend and now fiance.

The city's attorney, Joe Geller, argued that Bosque violated the police department's policy that officers keep their weapons safely secured at all times.

"We're here on a very simple matter," Geller told CBS 4 Miami's Gary Nelson. "It's going to be up to the arbitrator. We think what the officer did was wrong."

"It's allegations. Allegations are not convictions," said Bosque's union-provided attorney, Andrew Axelrad. "We have a system in place and that system is a fair system."

Bosque says he loves serving the community. "I love what I do for a living and I'm very proud," he said Wednesday.

Bosque had previously signed a deal with the city agreeing that one more strike would be his last.

Leaving his 30-shot assault rifle in the custody of his girlfriend's father qualifies as a strike, the city argues.

The city said the gun should have been secured in Bosque's home or at the police station while he was away on leave. Also left with the girlfriend's father was the officer's bullet proof police vest with insignia.

Bosque's attorney countered that the weapon was safe with the man Bosque calls "Daddy," and who is a licensed security guard.

The arbitrator, Wood, said she would issue a decision in approximately 60 to 90 days.

But the arbitration could be rendered moot, even before a decision is issued.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which licenses cops, will recommend Bosque's license be revoked at an expected de-certification hearing in coming months.

The last straw with FDLE investigators apparently centers around Bosque allegedly running criminal checks on people while off duty.

Bosque's attorney claims the investigators have misread Bosque's work schedule in comparing it with the dates he was conducting the background